An FAQ about swag bag for celebrities

Swag bags are a great way to get exposure for your brand and your products. If you aren’t taking advantage of this marketing avenue, or you aren’t even sure how it works, this FAQ is for you!

Q: What is “swag”?

A: We won’t bore you with centuries of etymology about the word, just know that along about 1800 it came to mean “plunder,” like pirate’s loot. When we talk about swag, we’re talking about goodies, free stuff, treats, booty.

Q: What is a “swag bag”?

A: That’s easy. It is a bag of swag. Sometimes these are small, like shopping bags, other times they are huge, like rolling duffel bags. They are handed out to attendees at meetings and events to promote the products in the bag.

Q: Oh. So it’s like those keychains and refrigerator magnets I got at that conference last year.

A: Swag bag items are very new, very exciting and very cool. The point is to place interesting, unique products of high quality in the bags to create buzz around the brands. You want the people who receive them to be seen using your merchandise publicly in photographs or talking about it on social media.

At Celebrity Connected, the “people who receive them” are celebrities. We aim for the kind of buzz your brand can get when it is associated with a popular public figure.

The best case scenario is for the entertainment media to write about what is in the swag bag at an event, mentioning your brand, and for your product to catch fire with one or more celebrities. When the celebrities are photographed using your product or they mention it in an interview or they tweet about it, your sales can skyrocket.

When you are a startup company looking for exposure, you can’t afford to buy the kind of publicity you will get for free when you make a celebrity connection.

Q: Ohh. Now I get it. You’re talking about something like an Oscar swag bag.

A: Yes! Now you’re on the right track. In 2016 the Oscar goodie bags were worth over $200,000. They contained surprises like personalized M&M’s, plastic surgery coupons and a walking tour of Japan. All the makers and providers of those goods got their brands in front of some of the most popular Hollywood stars. Wouldn’t you like that same chance?

Q: I would LOVE to get my stuff in the hands of celebrities, but what kinds of things attract their attention?

A: There are so many good swag bag ideas, but when you’re trying to connect with a celebrity, there are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Give them something they can use. Even better for you: Give them something they can be photographed using. If you make high-end custom products for dogs, a distinctive leash is better than a bag of treats, swaggily speaking.

2. Give them something they can eat. Everybody likes free food, especially if it’s new and delicious. Food is very unlikely to be tossed in the trash without even being tried.

3. Many celebrities are spiritually inclined and health conscious. They often have busy lives filled with long hours and lots of travel. They can feel stressed and frazzled.

If you make a product that can enhance someone’s peace and tranquility or make them feel healthy and good, you will get their attention. If you don’t think your product is of this type, find a way to make it this type. Find a link and point it out.

4. Products that will enhance the celebrity’s star power are always welcome. Anything that makes them look or feel younger, fresher and more attractive isn’t a vanity product, it’s a business tool.

Unique jewelry or accessories may attract the attention of a photographer, which all but the most jaded superstars will appreciate. It isn’t just the unwashed masses that see those pictures; agents and directors and casting agencies see them, too.

5. Avoid “ordinary junk.” If you want your brand to catch the attention of anything but the trash can, it needs to be extraordinary. It can be fun, indulgent or “perfect,” but it has to be something the giftee doesn’t already have ten of.

If we agree that your line of products would be right for swag, we can help you choose which items would be most likely to pique the interest of the celebrity market. We’re experts at this sort of thing, and we know this market very well.

Q: What if my stuff isn’t super-expensive or is really big or isn’t a “thing” at all?

A: Your products don’t have to cost thousands of dollars to be good swag. It’s more important for them to make someone stop and say, “Oh, that’s gorgeous!” or “Oh, that’s so cool!” It doesn’t matter if your psychic hair barrette costs $20 or $2000, if Lady Gaga sticks it in her hair, your phone is going to start ringing.

If your product is really big, like hand-carved furniture, it can be included in the form of a gift certificate. This is not as eye-catching as an actual item, but it will still garner exposure for your brand.

Gift certificates are also effective ways to promote services. If your business is about spa treatments or travel or another kind of luxury ministration, an attractive offer will be noticed.

A: We’ve been waiting for you to ask! It is the job of swag bag companies to find notable goods that are fun, exciting and new to fill swag bags for events. At Celebrity Connected, we focus exclusively on getting your goods into the hands of celebrities.

We are always open to talking to any business that is looking for new ways to gain exposure for its brand. We want you to see your creations everywhere you look: magazines, online, trending on social media. That’s when we know that not only did we find a great product to promote to the public, but we helped you grow your business to a level you only dreamed of.

Q: I’m on the other side. I organize celebrity events and I’m tired of handing out the usual swag. Can you help me out with some fresh connections?

A: You bet! We are more than happy to provide you with swag bags chock full of fun, creative products. We specialize in helping “under the radar” businesses that make amazing things connect with the kind of people that can bring the world to their door. We can put together gift bags that are tailored to your guests and contain surprises that they will appreciate and remember.

Q: Anything else?

A: One last thought: We love being in a business where everyone wins. Celebrities get fun, free samples of things they might never have seen otherwise, businesses get massive exposure for their products, and the event organizers have swag that will make their guests happy and the affair successful.

Get in touch if you have swag or if you need swag. At Celebrity Connected we are the experts at making celebrity connections, and we would love to talk with you!